The one in which they're pirates
by renrenren3
Summary: See title.


"My name is Sherlock Holmes," said the pirate in front of him.

The voice, deep and dark, sent a shiver down John's spine. "Captain Holmes," he said. "The English Crown has put a bounty on your head."

"Please, call me Sherlock," the pirate said. "No need for formalities." Then he made a gesture of contempt. "The bounty must be Mycroft's piece of work, no doubt my brother is still cross because I didn't attent Mother's birthday party. He's so touchy."

John looked around, hoping to find an opportunity for escape, but the pirates aboard the ship looked much too efficient. Lestrade, Sherlock's quartermaster, was barking orders and at the same time keeping an eye on the prisoners. The crew (which included a dangerous-looking black woman) had almost finished carrying the loot from the merchant vessel to the pirate ship.

Sherlock interrupted John's trail of thoughts. "Frenchmen or Spaniards?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Frenchmen or Spaniards, John?" the pirate repeated. "You clearly have served in the Navy in the past, so you must have received that scar in battle. From how you move it seems like a recent thing, so Frenchmen or Spaniards?

John's hand flew unbidden to his right shoulder. "How did you know that I have a scar?" he asked. Then he realized what Sherlock had just said, and his eyes widened. "And how do you know my name?"

Sherlock shrugged. "It's a triviality," he said. "Out of all the men on that merchant vessel, you were the only one who knew how to use a sword. From how you grasped the situation and led the men, and from how you fought without any fear of death, I deduced that you are a fighting man. You've served your King and country, but you're not a soldier. No, you walk on a ship's deck like a man who's spent all his life at sea." He gave a small smile. "As for your name. Your initials are JW. John is the most common male name, it was an easy and lucky guess."

John had been the doctor on board that merchant vessel for over six months, and he was sure that some of the sailors knew less about him than this pirate that he'd just met. "That's incredible," he said.

"Really?" Sherlock asked. He wrinkled his forehead. "That's not what people usually say."

"Why, what do people usually say?"

"Damn pirate, I'll see you hanged," Sherlock said, and then he grinned sheepishly.

Despite the situation, John had to laugh. "Why are you a pirate, though?" he asked. "A man with such intelligence could easily find a job better suited to his talents..."

Sherlock interrupted him. "I'm not just a common pirate," he said. "And I'm not a common sailor. Any idiot can float up and down the ocean and shoot at every ship he finds, and every idiot can follow the currents and bring a cargo of precious goods from the Colonies to London. Those things bore me. I'm a hound."

One of his men laughed with scorn. Sherlock didn't even turn, but he said, "Shut up, Anderson, or I will have you keelhauled," and the unlucky Anderson hurried away.

"What do you mean with hound?" John asked.

"I know exactly where to find each of His Majesty's ships at any time," Sherlock said. "I know which routes their captains will choose, and which ones will find storms along the way, and which ones have too small a crew to be well defended. The prizes are only meant to keep my men happy. What I want is the thrill of the chase."

John looked around. The ship's deck had been almost completely destroyed by cannon fire, the grappling hooks were still hanging on one side. Sherlock's crew was returning to their ship, which was anchored only a few yards away.

"I could use a doctor with nerves of steel," Sherlock said. "Do you want to come with me?"

The offer was tempting, but John was a man of firm moral principles. "I'm not going to associate myself with pirates," he said.

"I already told you, I'm not a pirate," Sherlock replied. "Don't tell me that you want to rot for the rest of your life on a stinking merchant vessel."

"I've already seen enough adventured," John said, holding on to his right shoulder.

"Don't you want to see more?" Sherlock asked.

"God, yes."


End file.
